Yellowjackets Fall in Extra Innings in Conference Opener; Nightcap Called Due to Darkness

Box Score

LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State Billings baseball team suffered a heartbreaking, extra-inning loss as it dropped its Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener at Saint Martin’s Saturday afternoon, 7-6 in 10 innings.  In the nightcap, the Yellowjackets are leading 1-0 going into the top of the seventh as the game was called due to darkness.  The teams will pick up in the top of the seventh tomorrow morning, before playing the final doubleheader scheduled for noon.

“We hit the ball well in the opener and we didn’t do the little things that it takes to win,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “We had a couple if inopportune walks and a couple of errors and a misjudged fly ball that really cost us.”

MSUB (1-9, 0-1 GNAC) was led by three hits from Jeff Ridgeway and Chris Round as both were 3 for 4.  Ridgeway scored two runs and a RBI, while Round scored a run.  Jaret Chatwood went 2 for 5 with a RBI, too.  The teams combined for 29 hits on the day.

The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Brian Dukart after a Ridgeway double to begin the game.  MSUB added another run in the fourth on a Chatwood double for a 2-0 lead.

The Saints (4-9, 1-0 GNAC) tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a pair of RBI singles off Yellowjacket hurler Ryan Pollock.  SMU then took the lead in the fifth with a run and added two more in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.

MSUB plated three runs in the seventh to tie the game at five as Ridgeway doubled home Patch Wirtzberger.  Later, Matt Schoonover hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Round and Jordan Kessler singled through the right side scoring Ridgeway.

SMU regained the lead again in the eighth as MSUB was about to get out of the inning with two outs and leave the bases loaded, however, a passed ball scored the go ahead run for a 6-5 score heading into the ninth.

MSUB had another rally in it as it tied the game in the ninth.  Round began the inning with a lead-off single.  A passed ball and a sacrifice bunt by Ridgeway put Ryan Dennehy (pinch runner for Round) at third.  Dukart hit the game-tying single after a SMU pitching change. 

MSUB went down in order in the 10th and SMU loaded the bases courtesy of a walk, hit batsmen, error and a game-winning single from Luke Abbott for a 7-6 score.

Jacob Vulk (0-2) takes the loss in relief as he went one inning, allowing two hits, one earned run, four walks and one strikeout. Pollock went five innings, allowing 11 hits, five earned runs, one walk and he fanned five.